LawnWeather

Florida Lawn Care Calendar

In Florida, crabgrass preventer typically goes down between Jan 23 and Feb 12: first in St. Petersburg, last in Pensacola. Below are typical fertilizer, seeding and frost dates for Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Sarasota, Lakeland, Port St. Lucie, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville and Pensacola, from 2016–2025 weather data. Enter your ZIP code for this year's timing.

When to apply pre-emergent in Florida

Typically between Jan 23 and Feb 12, depending on where you live. The window opens first in St. Petersburg (around Jan 23) and last in Pensacola (around Jan 28). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

CityCrabgrass preventer window
St. PetersburgJan 23 – Jan 31
JacksonvilleJan 24 – Feb 8
TampaJan 24 – Feb 2
West Palm BeachJan 24 – Jan 31
Fort MyersJan 24 – Jan 31
SarasotaJan 24 – Feb 2
OcalaJan 24 – Feb 3
GainesvilleJan 24 – Feb 8
MiamiJan 25 – Feb 1
Cape CoralJan 25 – Feb 2
NaplesJan 25 – Feb 2
Daytona BeachJan 25 – Feb 2
TallahasseeJan 26 – Feb 10
LakelandJan 26 – Feb 4
Port St. LucieJan 26 – Feb 3
OrlandoJan 27 – Feb 4
Fort LauderdaleJan 28 – Feb 4
PensacolaJan 28 – Feb 12

Warm-season lawn calendar

Lawns across Florida are mostly warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede).

CityFertilizerSeeding, sodding & pluggingFall pre-emergent (winter weeds)
JacksonvilleFeb 23 – Oct 27Feb 23 – Oct 13Oct 27 – Nov 17
TallahasseeMar 10 – Oct 18Mar 10 – Sep 27Oct 22 – Nov 12
OrlandoFeb 9 – Nov 12Feb 9 – Oct 25Nov 14 – Dec 5
TampaFeb 9 – Nov 15Feb 9 – Oct 27Nov 15 – Dec 6
MiamiJan 31 – Dec 11Jan 31 – Nov 20Dec 11 – Jan 1
St. PetersburgFeb 9 – Nov 17Feb 9 – Oct 28Nov 17 – Dec 8
Fort LauderdaleFeb 1 – Dec 10Feb 1 – Nov 20Dec 10 – Dec 31
West Palm BeachJan 31 – Nov 28Jan 31 – Nov 17Nov 28 – Dec 19
Fort MyersFeb 1 – Nov 24Feb 1 – Nov 2Nov 24 – Dec 15
Cape CoralFeb 3 – Nov 26Feb 3 – Nov 5Nov 26 – Dec 17
NaplesFeb 4 – Nov 26Feb 4 – Nov 11Nov 26 – Dec 17
SarasotaFeb 6 – Nov 18Feb 6 – Oct 28Nov 18 – Dec 9
LakelandFeb 9 – Nov 13Feb 9 – Oct 25Nov 10 – Dec 1
Port St. LucieFeb 3 – Nov 20Feb 3 – Oct 30Nov 20 – Dec 11
Daytona BeachFeb 11 – Nov 12Feb 11 – Oct 24Nov 9 – Nov 30
OcalaFeb 18 – Oct 30Feb 18 – Oct 10Oct 27 – Nov 17
GainesvilleFeb 21 – Oct 26Feb 21 – Sep 27Oct 25 – Nov 15
PensacolaMar 9 – Oct 25Mar 9 – Oct 5Oct 25 – Nov 15

Frost dates in Florida

CityLast spring frostFirst fall frost
JacksonvilleJan 24—
TallahasseeMar 1Dec 2
Orlando——
Tampa——
Miami——
St. Petersburg——
Fort Lauderdale——
West Palm Beach——
Fort Myers——
Cape Coral——
Naples——
Sarasota——
Lakeland——
Port St. Lucie——
Daytona Beach——
OcalaJan 31Dec 12
GainesvilleFeb 22Dec 7
PensacolaJan 25—

Median dates, 2016–2025. A dash means frost does not occur in most years.

Frequently asked questions

When should I put down pre-emergent in Florida?

Typically between Jan 23 and Feb 12, depending on where you live. The window opens first in St. Petersburg (around Jan 23) and last in Pensacola (around Jan 28). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

When is the best time to seed grass in Florida?

Seed or sod warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede) once soil stays above 65°F: typically from Jan 31, finishing about 10 weeks before the first fall frost.

What type of grass grows in Florida?

Most lawns in Florida are warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede).

Lawn care guides

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